Mission, Values & Educational Priorities

Mission

Cornell College offers an innovative and rigorous learning community where faculty and staff collaborate with students to develop the intellectual curiosity, creativity, and moral courage necessary for a lifetime of learning and engaged citizenship.

Core values

A liberal education that celebrates discovery and embraces the integration and application of knowledge

Intellectual, moral, and personal growth

Civic and social responsibility

The dignity and worth of each individual in a diverse community

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Cornell College values diversity and strives to create a welcoming community in which all individuals are respected and included. We support respectful and meaningful inquiry across actual or perceived differences. These differences include ability, age, appearance, athletics and student organization involvement, ethnicity, family/marital status, gender, gender expression, immigration status, language, military/veteran status, nationality, political ideology, race, religion/spirituality, sex, sexuality, socio-economic status, and other personal identities and experiences.

We live in an increasingly interconnected world. The ability to include, communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with diverse individuals is important. To that end, we engage in dialogue around issues of difference, identity, and ideology in the classroom, residence halls, and throughout campus. We embrace diversity, and as a result our viewpoints are enriched and our community strengthened.

The entire campus community is called upon to play a role in Cornell College’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Cornell will continue to evolve into a more inclusive and equitable campus that is committed to civic and social responsibility through the collaboration of the President, Diversity Committee, students, faculty, and staff.

Freedom of Expression and Civil Discourse Statement

Cornell College is an institution of higher education that aspires to develop lifelong learners and engaged citizens. Consistent with that mission, we strongly endorse freedom of speech, as articulated in the First Amendment, as an inherent right of individuals to express themselves. Expression and personal identity are inextricably intertwined. Further, while freedom of speech and expression are accorded constitutional protection in our civic life, the value of free expression must be given even more rigorous affirmation in an intellectual community that prizes liberal education, academic freedom, and critical thinking.

As a small, residential community of persons with diverse identities and backgrounds, Cornell is committed to maintaining an inclusive campus climate and emphasizes the importance of communication and cooperation between individuals who hold different perspectives, opinions, and identities. Civil discourse refers to the inherent responsibility of individuals to engage respectfully with the intent to foster understanding. In a community like ours, civil discourse is highly valued, as it guides the approach all individuals should take in order to achieve an inclusive campus.

Therefore, we expect that community members, when engaging in civil discourse, will approach each other with:

The intention to understand—The process of civil discourse places responsibility on both the speaker and the listener to be willing to learn, acknowledging that neither one has all of the answers. It can be messy, involves risk, and is ultimately rewarding. Active listening and asking thoughtful questions are key components.

Respect for the inherent dignity and worth of every person—Civil discourse means that we recognize that all persons, regardless of differences and disagreements, have inherent dignity, worth, and their own unalienable right to freely express themselves.

Commitment to learning and appreciation of critical thinking—Freedom of speech is fundamental for learning, critical inquiry, and growth as an individual and as a community. Civil discourse involves thinking critically about all ideas, opinions, and identities one encounters. The invitation to think critically is meaningless unless diversity of opinion and perspective is not only respected but actively sought out.

Empathy—A critical component of civil discourse is empathy. In practicing empathy, each individual involved attempts to understand the feelings, experiences, and perspectives of another.

Educational priorities & outcomes

The Mission and Core Values guide learning at Cornell College. The College recognizes that meaningful education occurs in multiple formats and venues, and encompasses a wide variety of disciplines and learning objectives. As an intentional learning community, the college has chosen to emphasize the following Educational Priorities and Outcomes for all students.

In order to achieve these Outcomes, the Educational Priorities are embedded in curricular, co-curricular, independent, and collaborative contexts across the campus. Faculty and staff provide opportunities for learning in a supportive environment where students ultimately take responsibility for their own education.

Knowledge

You will integrate and apply knowledge from a focused area of study as well as a broad general education which includes disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

“Acquisition of knowledge is at the heart of the college experience. It is why colleges exist. Knowledge empowers our graduates to have productive careers, make civic contributions, and lead fulfilling lives.”
A’amer Farooqi
Professor of economics and business

Inquiry

You will respond to the complexities of contemporary and enduring problems using information literacy tools, research skills, creative thinking, and analysis.

“One of the most important things we do as a society is create new knowledge. Step one in this process is being curious and asking questions—which, in turn, pushes us to think critically and learn deeply. Inquiry is everything.”
Jennifer Rouse
Consulting librarian for the arts and humanities

Reasoning

You will evaluate evidence; interpret data; and use logical, mathematical, and statistical problem-solving tools.

“We all make decisions every day, from the small and mundane to those with far reaching consequences. Reasoning, the process of taking information and using it to come to appropriate conclusions, is vital to making good decisions.”
Ann Cannon
Professor of Statistics

Communication

You will speak and write clearly, listen and read actively, and engage with others in productive dialogue.

“Communication is a vital glue for society. Without it, we are a group of people who happen to live in the same area, but who have no deeper sense of connection.”
Kenny Capesius ’16
La Motte, Iowa

Intercultural literacy

You will connect with diverse ideas and with people whose experiences differ from their own and that may be separated from them by time, space, or culture.

“Intercultural literacy enhances and compliments the liberal arts education I receive at Cornell by challenging the ways I usually think and interpret the world and its people.”
Michelle Ngirbabul ’16
Saipan

Ethical behavior

You will recognize personal, academic, and professional standards and act with integrity.

Citizenship

You will collaborate with others and contribute in their communities and the larger world.

“Every summer I share my acquired knowledge and skills with the youth of Mount Vernon as a basketball camp instructor. When our season starts up in the winter you can see those kids lining the stands. It is an awesome feeling to be a citizen and role model in such an amazing town.”
Peter Catchings ’16
Naperville, Illinois

Vocation

You will discover and prepare for the range of opportunities and challenges that await them beyond their college experience.

“I believe having a strong sense of vocation is synonymous with having a strong vision and plan for your future and being ready and able to adapt to any obstacles that may present themselves.
Angelica Hall ’15
Las Vegas, Nevada

﻿Well-being

You will ﻿respect the ways physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual well-being may contribute to a balanced life.

“Focusing on well-being reminds us that to thrive, we must be whole. We work; we play; we rest. Mindfulness about well-being attunes us to our needs for physical activity and health, for managing stress and experiencing growth, for social engagement and moments of quiet. Well-being in body, mind, and soul is the foundation for all we do.”
Christi Johnson
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology